What is Lyme Disease?

According to the NHS, the disease is caused by a type of bacteria that is present in many animals, including mice, deer and pheasants.

If a tick bites one of these animals, it becomes infected. It can then pass the bacterial infection on to humans by biting them.

It’s useful to know that being bitten by a tick doesn’t immediately lead to infection. Dr Richard Besser previously told ABC News: “You think it bites you and you get the infection but actually you have about 36 hours from the time of the bite to remove it before you get sick.”

What are the symptoms?

One of the first signs of an infected tick bite is a rash, which looks like a bull’s eye on a dart board. Other early symptoms include aching joints and muscles, plus a stiff neck and fever.